A Teleological Life
Once again, through ways I will not bother relaying, I found myself preaching on a Sunday morning. The topic: finding purpose.
One of the biggest problems with the Advent/Christmas season is the worry about “losing the meaning of Christmas” due to “commercialism” and the other coca-cola-Santa-Claus-vices. I submit that there is a greater fear in limiting the Providence of God by localizing His actions and planning to one or two moments in time. The birth was not the end or the purpose of the incarnation, neither was the crucifixion, nor the resurrection. Place the various holidays and our personalized application of them on the back burner. They all work together in a unified way. God has an overall plan. A purpose. A “teleos” = goal.
From here a quick summary of various events in the life of Christ which show His clear acknowledgment of this goal/purpose, though mainly things were focused around Luke 2:41-52, where the pre-teen Jesus is going about His “father’s business”.
An old prof of mine has recently submitted that a better rendering of that phrase is said “to be among those who belong to my Father.” And who would those people be? Who belongs to the Father? Everyone, as evidenced by Jesus’ interactions in life: the “churched” and “unchurched” were on His relational radar.
Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the disciples, those others called but who walked away, the scribes, the tax collectors, the Pharisees, the prostitutes. None is exempt from the goal of Christ, calling all men/women onto repentance, and showing all how to live in perfect communion with God.
If we are Christians (read: “little christs,” “Christ like,” or “imitators of Christ”) then it seems to reason that said goal is the same: the purpose does not change, though individually we need to figure out what that looks like in each of our lives. How my goal is sought, accepted, or achieved will not be the same for you, but I still need to be actively seeking opportunities and accepting the ones that fall in my lap. I’ll say that again:
I need to be actively seeking opportunities and accepting the ones that fall in my lap.
Amid Kat Williams allusions and a bit of biblical exegesis, the question remained (and remains) how do I go about my Father’s work if I am not around His people with a specific purpose, and a godly one at that? It was not a five point sermon, with the preacher’s amazing answer at the end. Instead it was one question, repeated in different ways:
What is it God would have you do, specifically, relationally, and daily? What purposes/goals are you supposed to seek out and/or accept as they come your way?
Snow In Seattle
Mandy and I are in Seattle, a world where snow is a scary, scary thing. So we will be here for Christmas. Here are some shots.
Yeah. Not that impressive.
Out Of The Toys Of Babes
Portfolio projects for this year are all turned in and graded. If you have access to my Facebook account, you can see pictures of the really cool ones from last year and this one. One in particular caught my attention and will be shown here.
The portfolio on a whole was expressing why Christianity has fallen into disrepair. Multiple papers and creations explaining that Christianity is not doing what it should be in the world, mostly because the Christians suck so much.
One of the pieces was a church scene rendered in legos. I’ll show the pictures I took of it in the relevant, most revealing order. An interesting indictment to say the least.
Enjoy.
Dear Boss
I am taking the time out from grading to inform you that my kids prove you’re an idiot.
The paper I am reading is from a student who barely speaks English, whose language skill are poor, but is a really hard worker. He was stuck in an Intro to Ethics class because of the fundamental brokenness of the racist system which is being created in the district. Not that you concern yourself with social equity.
In his paper he put together concepts that he understood from class with others from his church service; he was able to find connections between the story of Job and Gottfried Leibniz’s Best of all Possible Worlds ideas, specifically the Principle of Sufficient Reason, and coherently present his personal views in the limited English proficiency that he has. It’s good. Really good. Almost made me cry. You couldn’t write this paper on your best day.
This is what I do in class.
Thus, I humbly say, stay out of my class affairs: you are irrelevant and a hindrance to their educational endeavors. I would cite the multiple other examples of student work which has clashed with your sense of propriety, but I have other matters to attend to. Please find another white whale to chuck your spears at: I have work to do.
Meekness
Meekness is having the power to respond in force and choosing not to. I feel like I’ve written that here before.
There is way too much going on in my life right now. Future and current decisions to be made. None of them small. All of them important.
It is at times like these that one (read: MEH) needs to stop, take inventory of life, and calm down, because sometimes things present themselves as an outlet to release frustration and rage. But that doesn’t always mean it’s a good thing.
Righteous indignation is a beautiful thing. Having the complete and utter moral footing and height over someone else, which allows you to drop kick them in the mouth. And it would be glorious. But wrong. Probably. You think of Jesus in the temple with the whip and the table throwing and the quickly dispersing, slightly brusied robes and I’m happy. But that was specifically about that scene. I can’t say the same, competely, or honestly, for my situation.
Oh yes, I am well within my rights to say various things, it’s moving beyond those which is the problem. Staying to what is relevant and not passive-aggressive, or simply mean. I have the paper work, the back up, the signed documents to display, all saying “you are an idiot: I have proof,” in a nice way; But beyond that . . . there really is no reason to bring up someone else’s daddy issues, failed life choices, or myopic nature into the mix. That would just be mean. It would feel good, but it would be wrong. Jesus wouldn’t smile.
And there it is: meekness. Knowing the power you have and chosing not to weild it. Knowing that silence might be the best tool. Or trying to pray, again, for the situation. Or simply keeping your head down for little while longer. Running out the clock.
sigh.